Since the advent of the “War on Drugs” in the 1970s,
the U.S. has become the global leader in imprisonment. With
nearly 1 out of every 100 Americans behind bars, states are
scrambling to find additional beds and dollars for offenders, a
fifth of whom are convicted for crimes stemming from the need
to fund a drug habit.

Stephen Morse, Penn Law professor, anticipates that neuroscientists,
who are currently researching the neural mechanisms
of addiction and potential
treatment options, can help
reform the way courts treat
drug offenses. Instead of imprisoning
all defendants for
possession and use of drugs,
courts can raise the threat of
jail time as “leverage” to get
appropriate defendants into
treatment.